The latest proposals would lay off 118 firefighters, but fire officials said the department is already 60 firefighters under capacity.

If the cuts are that deep, Alter said, that no matter what terminology is used, a minimum of a dozen companies would not be in service when the layoffs took effect, currently projected to be June 9.

"They wouldn't be there to make the runs," Alter said. "Browned-out or closed, I think that's part of the fluidity of the program, so to speak. They don't know, we don't know what's going to be permanent and what's not going to be permanent."